Feed Your Rabbit the Right Greens

Your pet rabbit deserves a healthy and well rounded diet, with a mixture of hay, pellets, and fresh vegetables. Not only will this ensure that your bunny gets enough nutrition every day, but it will also keep your bunny healthy for the duration of her life. Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems, and they need a diet high in fiber, with pellets, hay, and veggies, to help their digestive systems functioning properly.[1] Keep your bunny healthy and happy with a daily serving of the right greens.

Steps

Getting the Right Greens

  1. Select at least three types of vegetables per feeding, including one high in vitamin A. Each type of vegetable will give your bunny different nutrients, ensure she eats a variety of veggies, and will allow her to practice different chewing motions. Your bunny’s teeth are constantly growing, so helping her work her teeth will help with grinding. Good vegetables for your bunny include:[2]
    • Collard greens (high in vitamin A)
    • Beet greens (the tops, high in vitamin A)
    • Lettuce: Romaine, Red or Green leaf (no iceberg or light colored leaf)
    • Spinach
    • Parsley
    • Basil
    • Mint
    • Bok Choy
    • Dandelion leaves
    • Mustard greens
    • Pea pods (just the pods)
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Swiss chard
    • Broccoli (the leaves and stems)
    • Cilantro
    • Dill
    • The green part of carrots
    • Celery leaves
    • Watercress
  2. Avoid overfeeding your bunny certain vegetables. Some vegetables can be harmful if your bunny eats too much over a short period of time, or if she develops a build up of certain nutrients in her body. Vegetables like kale, parsley, mustard greens and spinach should be fed sparingly to your bunny as they are high in oxalates and goitrogens.[2]
    • Vegetables such as eggplants, potatoes, and tomato plant leaves are toxic to rabbits and should not be feed to them under any circumstances.[3]
  3. Use carrots and fruits as treats. The image of a bunny munching on a pile of carrots is in fact an unhealthy one, as carrots are high in sugar and oxalate, the later can encourage bladder stone formation. Carrots should only be used as treats for your bunny.[4]
    • Give your bunny a ½ inch of carrot to chew no more than once every other day to prevent a build up of sugar in her diet. Bunnies also enjoy sugar and are prone to eating sugary foods over healthy ones.[4]
    • Fruits are also high in natural sugar and sugary fruits like bananas and grapes should only be given to your bunny as occasional treats. Limit your bunny’s fruit consumption to one to two tablespoons per 5 lbs of bunny weight and go for high fiber fruits like apples, blueberries, oranges (no peel), papaya, and pineapple.[2]

Feeding Your Rabbit

  1. Wash all vegetables before giving them to your rabbit. This will clean the vegetables and remove any pesticides or harmful chemicals on the surface of the vegetables.[5]
    • If possible, choose organic produce to avoid exposing your bunny to harmful pesticides.
  2. Give your rabbit a daily serving of vegetables based on her body weight. The standard formula is a minimum of one cup of vegetables a day for each 4 lbs. of body weight. Most bunnies weigh around 5-8 lbs.[6] Determine the weight of your bunny and then use the formula to determine the amount of veggies you should be feeding your bunny.
  3. Introduce greens one at a time. This will allow you to check for any sensitivities in your rabbit, and avoid shocking her system. Begin with only a small amount of a green, and watch for any intestinal issues in your bunny, such as diarrhea or soft stools.[2]
    • Rabbits also have individual likes and dislikes when it comes to taste so if your bunny isn’t interested in a certain vegetable, make note of it and replace it with a vegetable she might prefer.
  4. Create a balanced salad for your bunny. Start by building a balanced salad for each feeding, with a base of green leaf, romaine, or butter lettuce, and two other herbs or greens, one of which contains vitamin A.[1]
    • For example, you may try a salad of romaine lettuce, spinach, and mint. See how your bunny reacts to this salad, and if she responds well, continue to feed her a variation of this salad, switching out the spinach with beet greens or collard greens. After several feedings, replace the base with another lettuce and a different vitamin A rich vegetable.
  5. Maintain your bunny’s diet with hay and pellets. Fresh hay is the most important element of your bunny’s diet, as it is high in fiber and good for your bunny’s digestive system. Your rabbit’s diet should consist of mostly fresh hay, vegetables, fresh pellets, and fresh water. Give adult rabbits timothy, grass, and oat hays, and give younger rabbits alfalfa hay. Avoid giving adult rabbits alfalfa, as it is too high in protein, calcium, and sugar.[5]
    • If your rabbit is new to veggies, try cutting them into small pieces and mixing them in with her hay or pellets. Your bunny may not notice them among her hay and will likely end up enjoying them.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.ohiohouserabbitrescue.org/bunnydiet/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://rabbit.org/what-to-feed-your-rabbit/
  3. ↑ http://www.rabbitmatters.com/poisonous-to-rabbits.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.indianahrs.org/rabbit-care/greens-vegetables.aspx
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/what-to-feed-your-pet-rabbit/
  6. ↑ https://infoaboutpets.wordpress.com/tag/how-much-does-the-average-rabbit-weigh/
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